US 11,668,630 B2
Gas-liquid falling film equilibration system and methods of use
Alexander Whitman Miller, Annapolis, MD (US); and Amanda C. Reynolds, Annapolis, MD (US)
Assigned to Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC (US)
Filed by Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC (US)
Filed on Feb. 23, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/678,556.
Application 17/678,556 is a continuation of application No. 16/980,355, granted, now 11,333,589, previously published as PCT/US2019/023455, filed on Mar. 21, 2019.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/646,357, filed on Mar. 21, 2018.
Prior Publication US 2022/0252489 A1, Aug. 11, 2022
Int. Cl. G01N 1/38 (2006.01); G01N 33/18 (2006.01)
CPC G01N 1/38 (2013.01) [G01N 33/18 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An apparatus comprising:
a chamber comprising a wall that is disposed substantially symmetrically about a central axis, the wall defining the interior surface of the chamber, the exterior surface of the chamber, and space within the chamber;
an equilibration member within the chamber having an equilibration member outer surface, an axis of rotation, and a bisecting plane perpendicular to the axis of rotation positioned at the midpoint of the equilibration member's axis of rotation;
the equilibration member being positioned within the chamber such that its axis of rotation and the central axis of the chamber coincide or substantially coincide;
the chamber, the exterior surface of the chamber, the wall, the equilibration member within the chamber, the equilibration member outer surface, and the space within the chamber being divided into an upper portion above the bisecting plane and a lower portion below the bisecting plane;
the space within the upper portion of the chamber being in liquid and gas communication with the space within the lower portion of the chamber via one or more gaps between the equilibration member and the chamber wall;
one or more liquid inlets located in the upper portion of the chamber positioned such that a liquid introduced into the chamber from the one or more liquid inlets contacts the upper portion of the outer surface of the equilibration member;
one or more liquid outlets located in the lower portion of the chamber positioned to permit outflow of some or all of the liquid introduced into the chamber that collects in the lower portion of the chamber by gravity;
one or more gas inlets located in the wall of the lower portion of the chamber; and
one or more gas outlets located in the wall of the upper portion of the chamber;
wherein at least a section of the upper portion of the chamber wall is removably-resealable to the remainder of the wall; and
wherein a component of the equilibrator is comprised of plastic and/or metal.